The present invention relates to auxiliary connectors for connecting auxiliary cables to battery terminals and more particularly, to adapters for permitting connection of auxiliary connectors to side-terminal batteries.
In the past, conventional batteries such as, for example, lead-acid batteries for use in motor vehicles, included terminal posts projecting upward from the top of the battery. Such terminal posts were convenient for clamping or otherwise attaching booster or charging auxiliary cables employing clamp type auxiliary connectors having a pair of opposed resiliently urged jaws such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,145,648 and 4,163,134.
More recently, side-terminal batteries have become available in which, instead of having terminal posts projecting upward where they can be reached for connection of auxiliary connectors, such batteries have terminal bolts screwed into threaded positive and negative terminal receptacles on the side walls of the battery. The receptacles project, at the most, only slightly beyond the side wall of the battery, thus making it difficult or impossible to engage side battery terminals with traditional gripping jaws of auxiliary connectors. This difficulty is further compounded by the fact that most vehicle batteries are retained in a metallic battery container having close clearance to the side of the battery and making it difficult or impossible to obtain access for the attachment of the clamping jaws of an auxiliary connector.
In order to attempt to overcome this difficulty, an auxiliary clamp for side-battery terminals has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,516 which has one end adapted to engage a side-battery terminal and a second end projecting above the battery upon which conventional gripping jaws of an auxiliary connector may be clamped. Such an adapter is a small free item which is easily misplaced under conditions normal for storage of auxiliary battery cables when not in use.
A further solution is proposed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 153,156 in which a side terminal adapter is pivoted to rotate in a plane parallel to the jaws of a clamp-type auxiliary connector.
Another solution is proposed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 207,913 in which a flip adapter is hinged to one of the jaws of a clamp-type auxiliary connector and one end of it is rotated or flipped between the jaws which grasp it and hold it in a position for use.